Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School, Dewsbury
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Dewsbury. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 12 schools in Dewsbury with published results, and 3,246th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Capacity
- 92% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School in detail
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "Please click on the tabs to find out about the different areas of our school."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Kirklees and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (86% in reading, 87% in maths).
Getting a place at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
Across Kirklees, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Kirklees lodged 196 appeals against primary school offers; 125 reached a hearing and 25 succeeded (20% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School are Diamond Wood Community Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good); Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 85% maths); Crossley Fields Junior and Infant School (1 mile, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); and Boothroyd Primary Academy (1 mile, Good, 56% reading, 61% maths).
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Diamond Wood Community AcademyCrowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolCrossley Fields Junior and Infant SchoolBoothroyd Primary Academy
Who goes there
51.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 83.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 132 pupils (32.9%) received SEN support and 16 (4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ravensthorpe Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Diamond Wood Academy, 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School are Castle Hall Academy (0.8 miles) and The Mirfield Free Grammar (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from February 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a friendly, welcoming school where children are excited to learn and feel safe and valued. Teachers know their subjects well and quickly spot when children need extra help. The school offers lots of activities beyond the classroom including sports, music, arts, and trips like their recent visit to a Viking museum, helping pupils develop their talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pupil behaviour and conduct, with pupils being hardworking and engrossed in learning
- Strong teaching with teachers who have good subject knowledge and quickly address misconceptions
- Effective support for pupils with SEND, adapting activities and identifying why pupils struggle
- Wide range of extracurricular activities including sports, music, arts, and clubs
- Effective safeguarding arrangements with regular staff training and quick action on concerns
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff do not consistently check that pupils pronounce letter sounds correctly in phonics, leading to continued errors
- Attendance for some groups of pupils is not good enough and affects their learning
- Leaders' strategies to improve attendance for certain pupils are not yet effective
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders and governors conducting thorough checks on staff and visitors, providing regular training, acting quickly on concerns, and making timely referrals to external agencies.
Extracurricular Activities
Football for girls and boys, gymnastics, choir, board games club, library club, school council, museum visits, career visitors
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School continues to be a good school where pupils are safe, happy, and excited about their learning. The school has high expectations for all pupils and provides a broad, balanced curriculum with strong teaching.
At a Glance
51.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 91% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
26.8
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
Sleep Workshop
29 Sep 2026
Free Cycling Sessions
18 Sep 2026
Greenwood Centre
17 Sep 2026
Y6 Parents - High School Applications
15 Sep 2026
English Classes
14 Sep 2026
Upcoming Parent Workshops
9 Sep 2026
From Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
Term dates
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is in Kirklees; for families living there:
- Kirklees's school travel policy: School transport
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 15 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
412 pupils
446 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dewsbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dewsbury
Across Kirklees council
Places available
5,437
Applications
4,554
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
132
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
36.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
401
Total Pupils
205
Boys
196
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,871
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,654
Per pupil
£2651k
Total funding
£255k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
17.8%
Persistent absence
427
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
Questions parents ask about Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School
What are SATs results like at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Of the pupils at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 446 places.
How big are the classes at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Classes at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School has around 401 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School in 2024/25. 17.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
What are Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School's term dates?
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 15 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School?
Ravensthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School is at Myrtle Road, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 3AS.
Sources: Kirklees term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)